Sleep cap



Jan. 16, 1%45. CQRLEY 2,367,459

SLEEP CAP Filed Feb. 10, 1943 INVENTOR.

Bales/ 1.. Comsv. BY

mmuz

f T'TOR/YE vs.

Patented Jan. 16, 1945,

rrso STATES PATENT OFFICE Application February 10, 1943, Serial No. 475,381

4 Claims. (Cl. 2-209) This invention relates to a device for wearing by a person to shut out or to deaden objectionable sounds that would normally interfere with such person's falling asleep or with sound sleep thereafter.

One of the objects of the invention is to provide a cap, or the like, that may be worn by a wearer with comfort and-which cap has sound absorbing. material covering the ears of such wearer so as to shut out objectionable noises.

Another object of the invention is to provide a sleep cap or the like, that is of light, flexible, soft and relatively open-work fabric provided with soft, flexible and easily removable pads of soft, flexible material having sound absorbin and sound deadening properties that will cover the ears, and which pads are so formed as to distribute the pressure thereof against the ears in a manner that is comfortable and efiective for shutting out and for deadening sound.

Other objects and advantages will appear in the drawing and description.

Before describing the device or sleeping cap in detail. it is important that several of the intended results to be accomplished by the invention be understood since the device is to be worn to facilitate the going to sleep of a person and the sleeping by shutting out of the objectionable sounds. This is accomplished by providing ear coverings that will absorb and deaden the sounds, and by providing means for holding the ear coverings in position over the wearer's ears, both before and during sleep, irrespective of movements of the wearers head. To accomplish the ultimate result of facilitating sleep the device must be light, flexible, comfortable, ventilated and easy to apply.

Comfort and health demand that there be no excessive heating of the head or body and no objectionable pressure against the ears or objectionable restriction on the head. Also, the ear coverings must stay in an operative position for covering the ears- These demands are equally essential to the inducement of sleep.

With this invention the desired and essential results are accomplished by the structure hereinafter disclosed which is illustrative of the invention and not necessarily restrictive.

In the drawing,

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of the device of this invention on a wearer.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged, fragmentary, elevational view of One of the ear-covering portions of the device.

tively open weave. This may be a net-like fabric or a netting. The crown of the cap may in some instances be omitted, but the body of the cap, whether with a full crown or without the crown, has a relatively wide strip of the material that will fit across the forehead, and will extend across the ears and around the rear of the head below the hair line of the head. An edging strip 2 of any suitable reinforcing material, but which is preferably of washable fabric is secured to the edges of the cap, as by stitching.

Each of the ear covering portions 23 of the cap is provided with a pocket that is of larger size than each ear and each pocket is preferably generally vertically elongated so as to extend from a point at the side of the head above the level of the eyebrows to a point below the lobe of the ear with the lower end of the pocket of slightly greater width than the upper end portion thereof. The major central axes of these pockets may be slightly inclined rearwardly from their upper totheir lower ends and are preferably substantially symmetrical at opposite sides or their major axes as seen in Figs. 1, 2.

In the illustration (Fig. 2) each pocket is formed by securing a piece of fabric 6 to the inner side of each ear portion 3 of the cap, the outline of each piece i generally defining the outline of each pocket, and being somewhat oval or egg-shaped so as to eliminate any sharp corners that might otherwise tend to catch in the hair or to cause a localized strain such as would occur where sharp corners were used.

The edges of each piece i are secured to the ear portions 3 oi the cap along their forward edges (those nearest the iace of the wearer) while the rear edges are free from securement to the portions Stitching, such as indicated at 5 (Fi 2) may be used to secure each piece 6 to each portion 3, which stitching preferably extends slightly around the curved upper and lower ends of the cap to points 6. Thus the free edges moval by reason of the Dad extending at its upper and lower ends past points 6.

Such pads are indicated at I (Fig. 3) and as the pieces 4 are preferably sufilciently slack inwardly of the lines of their securement to the cap so as not to cause substantial compression of the pads when the latter are in said pockets, it will be seen that the pads will project from the inner sides of the cap when the cap is on the head.

An eyelet 8 of fabric or metal ma be secured to the corner of each ear portion 3 of the cap for securement thereto of a ribbon, cloth tape, or straps 9 (Fig. 1). The said corners of the cap may each be reinforced by a gusset piece I to which the lower and forward edge of each piece 4 may be secured (Fig. 2) by the stitching 5. Also the forward edge of each piece 4 may be secured to the edging 2 of the cap. By so securing the piece 3 to the gusset piece It) and edging 2, there will be no line of weakness between the pockets for pads I and the edging to cause detrimental strain on the pockets when the straps 9 are secured together under the wearer's chin.

Each pad I is preferably flat and pre-formed to correspond in outline to the shape of each pocket, and is somewhat resilient and compressible. The material of each pad may be relatively loosely felted, and may be of cotton, kapok, or any other relatively fluffy material that has resiliency when in the pockets. Such pads ma be replaced when worn or soiled and are very cheap to make, although each pad may be of fluffy, light material encased in a fabric casing resembling a small pillow. In any event there should be a relatively free circulation of air through the pad coupled with sufficient compactness to'substantially shut out objectionable sounds so that no objectionable heating of the ears will be caused, and the material should be moisture absorbent so as to absorb any slight moisture emanating from the ears.

With a construction as above described, when the cap is in position the pads will readily be compressedlightly against the ears to conform to the surface contour of the latter sealing them against free passage of sound thereto yet there will be no objectionable pressure against the ears and no protrusions of material into the ear passage. The pads virtually act as small pillows.

The netting material of the cap will hav substantial resistance to slippage on the head due to the hair tendency to enter the mesh opening, while no such resistance will exist between a pillow or bed clothing and the netting. The wearer may turn his or her head on the pillow without "causing shifting of the cap and pads.

The shape of the pads being symmetrical at opposite sides of their major axes, are reversible in the pockets. Their shape also is found to be such as to be most effective for meeting variations in head contours and will cover the ears even though the quantity of hair on the heads of different users varies considerably.

Having described m invention, I claim:

1. A sleep cap for the head of a wearer having ear covering portions each provided with a pocket; a soft, resilient pad of relatively light, sound absorbent material positioned in each of said pockets for covering each ear of a wearer, each of said pads being substantially flat on its side adapted to be positioned against the ear and the material of said cap being of light, relatively open-mesh fabric to permit ventilation.

2. A sleep cap for the head of a wearer provided with pockets arranged and adapted to extend over the ears of such wearer when the cap is on the head, each of said pockets being open along its side that is generally directed toward the rear side of the cap and away from the forward edges thereof; a pad of relatively fluffy, compressible material removably positioned in each pocket, and means for securing the cap on the head of such wearer in a position with the said pads extending over the ears of the head.

3. A sleep cap for the head of a wearer formed of relatively open-mesh fabric having ear covering portions respectively provided with pockets extending over substantially the full, laterally projected areas of said portions; said pockets being open along one of their edges for insertion of a pad into each pocket and removal of each such pad therefrom, a pad of soft, compressible, resilient, sound absorbent material in each pocket, a piece of reinforcing fabric material connected with each pocket and secured to said cap; a band connected with each of such places adapted to extend to connecting relation below the wearers chin for securing the cap on the head and for holding said pads against the ears.

4. A sleep cap for the head of a wearer provided with pockets arranged and adapted to extend over the ears of such wearer when the cap is on the head, each of said pockets being open along one of its sides for insertion of a pad into each of said pockets and for removal of such b d therefrom, a soft, compressible pad in each pocket. and means for securing the cap on the head of such wearer in a position with the pads in said pockets extending over the ears of the head.

BUREN L. CORLEY. 

